The Path of Hum Drum Part 5 – The Scientist and The Ranger
It was almost night time and a young girl was running for dear life in the back alleyway of Maretropolis. She sees a dumpster and stops to climb in it, hoping to hide from them.
From her hiding spot, she hears several footsteps approaching. The girl stayed completely silent when she heard one of them talk, “Have… you… found… her… yet?” Said a voice that sounded growley and barely human.
“No…” Said another.
“Keep… looking… She… couldn’t… have… gotten… far.” Commanded the other voice.
The girl then hears the footsteps getting further away but stayed right where she was until she could no longer hear them. The girl then takes a peak from the dumpster and sees no one.
Using this opportunity, she decides to jump out and escape. But, she only made it as far as a few steps as someone grabbed her wrist and covered her mouth before getting dragged away.
The next day, after school, in the Chemistry class, Ken was hanging out with Spruce Spanner and Nova Potts, who was showing off some neat chemical reactions.
All three classmates were wearing safety goggles and gloves as they watched a chemical reaction, made possible by mixing a specific amount of hydrogen peroxide, mixed together with dish soap, food coloring, and a drop of potassium iodide.
“Whoa!” Ken exclaimed, watching as the result ends up spraying colorful foamy contents out of the flask.
“Check it out!” Nova smiled enthusiastically. “Funny elephant toothpaste!”
“Oh my!” Spruce exclaimed. “Do elephants clean their teeth with this?”
Nova couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Oh no..." She chortled. "Elephants don't clean their teeth with this. We just call it 'elephant toothpaste' because it looks like a big toothpaste, and it's big enough for a grown elephant."
"Oh," Spruce nodded in acknowledgement. "Still, it looks clean and beautiful to watch."
"And it's definitely something my cousin, Danny, would like," Ken commented, while thinking to himself, 'Just think of the kind of crazy invention he might come up with this.'
After about another half an hour of chemical reactions experiments, the three friends proceeded to clean up the room and put the equipment and chemicals away in their proper place. All three friends were leaving the school, where they happened to meet Dallas and Phoenix at the bottom of the steps.
"Howdy Ken," Dallas greeted. "Howdy Spruce! Did y'all have fun with Nova?"
"Definitely!" Spruce Spanner smiled. "She showed us a neat chemical reaction called a 'Funny Elephant Toothpaste!' And they were so colorful, I can't wait to show it off to some of my elephant friends at the zoo!"
"...Elephant friends?" Phoenix Dawn asked.
"She works part-time as a zookeeper assistant at the zoo," Ken explained to Phoenix, who nodded in acknowledgement. "So...how are things at Kirin's Care, Phoenix?"
"Everything's good as usual," Phoenix sighed. "But it pays to have more help. Maybe if Mayor Verko wasn't being such a asshole towards the Power Princesses and Hum Drum, we'd get a lot of help from them..." The fiery girl commented with a hint of disdain in her tone.
Spruce, Dallas, and Ken couldn't help but exchange looks with each other, feeling sorry for the girl.
"Well, anyway, I should be going to help mom," Phoenix bowed her head, before she took her leave.
"Hey, Phoenix!" Ken called out to the girl. "If you ever need help, just say the word! We'll help you!"
"はい(Yes)," Phoenix nodded. "I know I can count on you. じゃあまたね (See you later)."
With a wave of her hand, Phoenix took her leave, with Ken, Dallas, and Spruce waving her off.
"She seems like a really nice girl," Dallas Queen commented.
"What'd you expect?" Nova asked. "Her mom's a philanthropist, she's an angel! Phoenix would always go on and on how she wanted to devote her life to helping others, so they wouldn't feel forgotten or left behind."
"Sounds like a noble cause," Spruce commented.
"Although, sometimes...she just seems sad," Nova added. "Though, I can't seem to put my finger on it..." Wanting to get out of the awkward moment, Nova too took her leave. "Anyway, I should be getting home. See you around, my friends!"
"See ya, Nova!" Ken and his friends waved.
Later, Ken and two of his new alien friends were at the Heathespike residence, where they were treated to another visit from Ken's cousins, Megan, Danny, and Molly.
Dallas got to talking with Megan, while Ken and Spruce were in the basements, showing off the latest DIY experiment to Danny.
"Whoa, ho-ho!" Danny exclaimed in surprise, watching the chemical reaction explode into strings of foamy, colorful substances. "This is so cool!"
"Definitely!" Spruce smiled. "Though, I wonder what the elephants at the zoo might think about this new toothpaste of theirs."
"I wouldn't know about that," Danny chuckled, before he pondered. "Although, I think I've got a few new ideas I'd like to try out with this."
"I'd expect nothing less, Danny," Ken chuckled nervously, as he and Spruce took their leave. "Just...don't make a mess of things, like last time. Okay?"
Danny glared at his cousin. "Oh come on! It was only that one time and I’ve gotten better!”
Kn glared back at Danny. “Oh really? I suppose you’ve gotten better after the soda soap incident last month as well?” This caused Danny to turn away and rub the back of his neck in embarrassment.
“Soda soap incident?” Spruce asked
“Long story.” Ken replied.
Upon walking back up into the main hallway, Ken and Spruce were greeted with a welcoming bark from Delilah, the family's dalmatian.
"Hey Delilah!" Ken smiled as he got down to affectionately pet his dog's ears. "Have you been a good girl today? Who's a good girl?"
Just then, both Dallas and Megan came walking in, laughing and hitting it off with each other.
"I gotta say, Megan, for being young, yer my kinda businesswoman!" Dallas smiled. "I gotta get the recipe for that Ribwich of yers, and all those other good stuffs."
"Think you can remember it all?" Megan asked.
"They don't call me, the Cooking Queen for nothing!"
"Nice to see you two are getting along," Ken commented, making him, Spruce, and Delilah's presence known.
"Well, we country gals gotta stick together," Dallas smiled, just as her phone went off. "Uh oh." The alien girl moaned, when she sees that it's time for her and Spruce's patrol around the city.
"What is it?" Megan asked.
"Uh...trouble across town," Dallas replied as she walked over to take both Spruce and Ken by the hands. "Listen, I'm sorry for cutting our conversation short, Meg. But I've got, uh...trouble at home, and I'm...me and Spruce will have to borrow Ken for awhile, to show us the place."
"Oh. Sure, okay," Megan nodded in understanding. "Just go and do what you need to get done."
"Great. C'mon you two," Dallas said, dragging Spruce and Ken along. "Let's go y'all."
"Oh, Ken!" Megan remembered, holding up a dog leash for the boy. "Don't forget, it's time for Delilah's afternoon walk."
"Got it," Ken nodded as he took the leash and latched it onto Delilah's collar. "C'mon, Delilah! Let's go!"
With that, the four all made a hasty run out the front door, passing by Molly.
"Whoa, where's the fire?" Molly asked.
Once again, Ken dons up his Hum Drum costume, as he goes on another patrol. This time, with Saddle Rager and Mistress Marvelous.
"Ok, so what's the agenda, girls?" Hum Drum asked, as he perched atop a bench in the park, with Spruce and Dallas at his sides, including Delilah.
"Well, I've been talking to a lot of people today," Dallas began. "The firefighters's dog, Doug, just went missing."
"So I think we should work on finding that poor dog," Spruce suggested.
"Copy that," Ken nodded, before he turned to Delilah. "So, Delilah. You up for this girl?"
"Help to find my fellow canines?" Delilah barked with a wag of her tail. "It'd be my pleasure."
With that, the three heroes and their dog friend made their first stop at the fire station, where they met up with the firefighters.
"Hello there, firefighters," Dallas greeted.
"Huh? Oh!" The Fire Chief exclaimed. "You're the Power Princesses!"
"And don't forget me, Hum Drum the Boy Wonder!" Hum Drum declared, before Delilah pulled on his cape. "And this is my dog, Delilah."
The Fire Chief gave Ken a deadpan look, "Right..." He then turned back to look at both Spruce and Dallas. "Anyway, what brings you fine heroes here?"
"Well, Mr. Chief," Saddle Rager began. "Word is...you have a missing dog...problem?"
"Oh! Yes! You mean, Doug, our mascot!" The Fire Chief nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. It's not like the old mutt to just up and vanish into thin air. He was here this morning, when I went out to give him breakfast. But at about lunch, he was gone."
"Well, not to worry mister," Dallas assured the fire chief. "We're all over it."
With that, the heroes begin surveying the layout of the fire station, searching for any traces of Doug.
"The Fire Chief did say Doug was here for his breakfast," Spruce began. "Maybe we can find a trace of him, in his bowl or something..."
"Worth a shot," Ken replied as he and the heroes both went over to inspect a half empty bowl of dog foods. "Hmmm, he's definitely eaten here. Now the question is, where did he go after a big meal?"
"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Delilah whispered, as she walked over and sniffed what was left of Doug's breakfast. "Hmm, he's got good tastes...Bacon, with a side twist of pulled pork. Oh! Sausage. I got him!" She pointed her nose off in a direction, where she proceeded to sniff the air, following the scent. "He went this way."
Ken and the two Power Princesses followed Delilah into the streets of Manehattan, following the scent of the missing dog they're searching for, passing by the people along the way.
"Excuse us," Hum Drum would call out to the people. "Coming through! Important hero work."
"Marry me, Power Princesses!" One of the random dudes would call out to the girls, which annoyed Ken.
"I didn't know the Power Princesses or Hum Drum have a dog," One of the citizens commented.
"Maybe they're just borrowing it," Another citizen would say. "I think it belongs to the firefighters..."
Eventually, the girls and Ken's search lead them to a tree, where a squirrel happened to take up residence.
"Squirrel!" Delilah barked excitedly.
"Focus Delilah," Ken ordered his dog. "Hmmm. Doug was just chasing a squirrel. Ain't that like a dog?" Annoyed, Delilah blew a raspberry at Ken.
"Still, he can't have gone too far," Spruce commented. "Could he?"
"We won't know for sure, 'til we find him," Dallas replied. "Where to next?"
Delilah proceeded to sniff the surrounding area, before she picked up Doug's scent again. The heroes followed the trail into an alleyway.
"Ew! This place stinks!" Ken coughed, pinching his nose.
"That, or it could be that," Dallas pointed to a pile of dog poop. "As you earthlings would say. Pee-yew!"
"No kidding," Ken moaned.
"But, it looks fresh," Spruce inspected. "We're on the right trail."
With that, the heroes continued following the trail, until they arrived outside of a door, of a large building.
"There!" Delilah barked. "He went in there."
"Why would Doug want to come here in the first place?" Spruce asked curiously.
"We'll know when we find him and ask," Ken replied as he and his friends opened the door and walked inside.
Upon walking into the building, the heroes could see that the lightings were dim, and the walls were stacked with mechanical engines, railings, and large crates.
Hum Drum blew a whistle, "Here boy," He called out to the missing dog. "Doug? Where are you?"
Suddenly, Delilah's ears perked up, "Wait!" She exclaimed, shushing her owner and the alien girls. "I hear some people, in here."
"Oh my," Spruce exclaimed. "Who could be working here?"
"Probably some workmen," Ken deduced. "Judging by the look of this place, I think it's a warehouse. And they're probably just taking care of storing some goods."
"Hold on," Delilah's ears perked up as she listened even closer to the interior.
"What is it?" Ken asked his dog. "Do you hear Doug?"
"No, I hear...a little girl! She's in distress!" Delilah exclaimed in worry.
Reacting on instinct, Delilah took off running into a hallway, Ken and the two Power Princesses following.
"Delilah!" Ken called. "Not so fast!"
It didn't take long, until Delilah came to a stop, at the edge of a railing, with Hum Drum and the others following close behind. Before long, the heroes looked down to see what Delilah had heard. They found Doug and as well as something more disturbing.
Below the railings are a group of people wearing mostly red jackets with large hoods over their head concealing their faces while carrying AK-47s.
In the center of the room, was a little girl bound to a chair and a sack over her head.
They also found Doug chained to a pole and barking nonstop at the figures. One of them was getting annoyed and butted the dog in the head with his rifle. Doug looks up to his attacker and growls defiantly at him.
"Now who are these varmints?" Mistress Marvelous asked quietly.
"If I didn't know any better," Hum Drum replied. "I think they're the Reapers."
"Reapers?" Saddle Rager asked. "What do they do?"
"They're anarchists, from what I've read in dad's police file on them," The Boy Wonder explained. "They're bad news and they never show their faces for it. There's also a rumor going on that says they're linked to a cult."
"But what would they want with a child?" Mistress Marvelous asked.
"I don't know, but it can't be good and if I had to guess Doug must have tracked these guys, only to get captured himself," Hum Drum replied. "Let's get them both out!" Hum Drum immediately reaches into his utility belt and pulls out his metal rod, clicking it to full length, and is just about to jump in.
"Hold your horses there, Hum Drum!" Mistress Marvelous scolded. "Don't just go charging in without a plan of attack! If those Reaper fellas are as bad as you say they are, they'll hurt the girl or the dog if we alert them. We gotta pick 'em off, silently."
"Ooh, you mean stealth attack?" Hum Drum asked. "I like the sound of that. But how are we gonna do that?"
Dallas stood up and jumped onto a railing above, "Y'all try and create a distraction," She advised. "Try and lure one of them away from the others, and I'll do the rest from up here."
Hum Drum nodded in understanding as he proceeded with his part of the plan, with Saddle Rager.
"Delilah. Stay," Hum Drum ordered his dog.
"Understood," Delilah nodded as she complied, watching as her owner and his friend proceeded with their part of the sneak attack.
"Oh, I'm really nervous about this," Saddle Rager whimpered. "What if something goes wrong? What if those Reapers hurt them?"
"Calm down, Spruce," Hum Drum whispered. "Try to think positive. Now, how do I get one of those creeps to walk away?" Ken turned to look at an empty corner, and he got an idea.
Using his metal rod, Hum Drum tossed it at the walls, which created a loud clang.
This got one of the Reapers’ attention before they went over to investigate.
Before the anarchist knew it, a golden lasso quickly came down and quickly snatched them up, without alerting the others. Up above, Dallas made quick work with the startled Reaper, whom she banged their head against a railing, knocking them out cold, before she handcuffs them and hangs them by their hands.
The commotion didn't go unheard, however, when the other Reapers took notice of the disturbance. Two of them left the main group to investigate. One of them went first to check what the commotion was, while the second hung back to protect their comrade. Just like before, Mistress Marvelous went to work ensnaring the second Reaper, while Hum Drum hid behind a crate, waiting for the unsuspected first Reaper to pass by, before he landed a strong hit to the head with his metal rod, knocking them out.
While this was happening, Saddle Rager made her way over to Doug, who growled as he furled his fur defensively at the alien girl.
"Shhh, it's okay," Saddle Rager cooed to the dog. "My friends and I are here to help you and the girl. Shhhh."
Listening to the girl's kind words and taken by her sweet demeanor, Doug immediately relaxed as he allowed the girl to walk over and untied him from the pole, setting him free. With that, she quickly and quietly takes Doug to safety. One of the Reapers suddenly took notice of the silence and he turned around to see that Doug was missing.
"Hey!" The Reaper called to a few of his fellow anarchists. "Dog's... gone...."
"Go! Find... it...!" One of the other Reapers ordered, to which the other few complied.
Just then, the sound of a dog barking was heard, alerting the Reapers to run in the direction of the barking. Once they disappeared behind a wall, however, the sound of brutal beating can be heard, which the other Reapers in the main group didn't pay any attention to.
"So far so good," Hum Drum said to Dallas via the comm. "Now can we get the girl?"
"Not yet, Ken," Dallas replied. "From the looks of it, the others are getting suspicious now that they've noticed several of their posse have gone missing, and they're still a lot of them. We gotta wait until they're spread thin before we can move in and snatch the kid."
"Whatever you say, Dallas."
Ken continued doing his part to lure more and more of the Reapers away, with Dallas doing her part to knock them out cold. Saddle Rager was looking after Doug, making sure he's okay, before she turned and noticed that the Reaper standing next to the girl, most likely the leader, was holding up a tube, containing a strange looking black tar of sort.
"Oh my! What is that?" Saddle Rager whimpered.
Both Hum Drum and Mistress Marvelous turned to see the mysterious black tar.
"Ken?" Asked Dallas. "What'd ya call that?"
"I don't know what that is," Ken replied, before he looked up in alarm. "But it can't be good and that Reaper's holding it close to the girl! We gotta get her now!"
"Alright, Ken," Dallas agreed. "Hope ya ready."
The lead Reaper was on the verge of tipping the tube over to spill the black tar on the girl, when a lasso came down and snatched the tube away from him.
"Yoink!" Dallas shouted, taking the black tar in her hand. "I'll take that! NOW HUM DRUM!"
Hum Drum quickly fired his Zipper in his belt, zipping himself across the air, kicking the lead Reaper away from the girl, whom he quickly cuts free from her ropes, courtesy of his retractable nails.
"RUN KID!" Hum Drum called to the girl, who quickly took off running, after she pulled the sack off her head.
The Reapers all started to give chase after the girl, only to be stopped by Dallas who stood in their way.
"You're not going anywhere!" Mistress Marvelous declared, standing in a fighting stance.
"This way sweetie!" Spruce beckoned to the girl, as she took the child away to safety, along with Doug and Delilah, leaving Ken and Dallas to fight the remaining Reapers.
The Reapers immediately opened fire on Mistress Marvelous with their guns, but the strong super heroine was quick to roll behind some crates, to evade the bullets. Concentrating into her powers, focusing her psychokinetic link, her lasso emitted a golden glow as it snakes across the floor, wrapping itself around the Reapers' legs, tripping them up.
With the anarchists down and having dropped their guns, Hum Drum jumped into the fray and proceeded to whack them on the heads with his metal rod.
"My dad told me to never kick a man when he's down," Hum Drum commented. "But for creeps like you, I'll make an exception."
One of the Reapers got up and ran towards Hum Drum from behind, but the boy was holding his metal rod too far back, and unknowingly conked the anarchist on the nose. Alerted by the assailant's failed sneak attack, Ken immediately turned around and proceeded to jab his rod into the anarchist's stomach, with a high strike to the head for a follow up, complete with a twist of his body for a spinning back kick.
The Reaper tried to go in for another lunge at the boy, but Mistress Marvelous threw a pair of restraining cuffs that stopped the Reaper dead in his tracks and chained him to a pole.
"Nice shot, Marvelous!" Hum Drum gave the girl a thumbs up.
"Cuffarangs," Marvelous smiled, as she tossed a Reaper over her shoulders. "Never leave home without 'em."
Another Reaper jumped at Marvelous, who quickly blocked his punch, before she snaked her arm to link with his, and then followed it with a punch from her free hand to his hidden face. She was certain she struck him in the nose, judging where the Reaper was covering his inflicted face. Also, when Marvelous struck his face, his skin felt… different for some reason. Like it was almost rough.
Before she had time to think, another Reaper jumped at Dallas from behind, wrapping his arm around her neck, trying to choke the life out of her. But with a thrust, she rammed her elbow into his ribs, forcing him to let go. Once freed, Dallas slithered behind the Reaper, while still holding his hand, and she landed another punch to his head, disorienting the Reaper, then she landed a strong front kick to his back, knocking him away. Another Reaper lunged at Mistress Marvelous, but she swept her leg across the floor, tripping them, before she leapt into the air for an elbow drop, knocking the wind out of them.
Dallas quickly got up, but received a bonk on the head.
"OW!" She yelped.
She turned around to see Hum Drum was swinging his metal rod violently and wildly at the oncoming Reapers. Hum Drum didn't even notice he was accidentally hitting his own teammate, until Marvelous stopped him, in which he turned around to see her scowling and shaking her head at him in disapproval.
Resuming the fight, Marvelous quickly took hold of one end of Hum Drum's rod, and assisted him with his fight, helping the young hero-in-training to parry, block, counterattack, and land a hit, with his rod, at the other Reapers. Mistress Marvelous turned around and saw another Reaper lunging at them, to which she pulled her end of the rod to jab him in the stomach, and ducked her head to dodge a strike from another Reaper.
Mistress Marvelous proceeded to land a spinning hook kick at a Reaper, followed by a front kick to another. Then, using the metal rod, she flips Hum Drum over her shoulder, for the boy to land on top of another Reaper. Confused and distracted from the adrenaline, Hum Drum was left in a daze. Before he had time to recover, Mistress Marvelous grabs a hold of his metal rod, sweeping the dizzy boy across the floor, to trip the remaining Reapers, knocking the wind out of them. With that, the fight was over.
End of Fight
The defeated Reapers all laid across the floor, bruised, battered, but alive. Dallas and Hum Drum both stood, tired but triumphant at their latest victory.
"I think we're good for now," Dallas breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah," Hum Drum nodded, as he turned to look up at Dallas. "Uh, listen, Dallas? I...I'm sorry for..."
"No need to apologize, Ken," Dallas replied. Before either of them could think, the Reaper unleashed a molecular shockwave towards them. Thinking fast, Dallas grabbed Ken and jumped out of the way. After the shockwave struck a wall, the two looked up and saw that the tall Reaper and all the others were gone.
It wasn't long before the police swarmed the building and started investigating where the Reapers disappeared to. The little girl was turned over to the police who were quick to give her a safe police escort home. In the meantime, Hum Drum, Mistress Marvelous, Saddle Rager, Delilah, and Doug were perched on top of a rooftop, watching it all happen below.
"Well, that was exciting," Ken breathed a sigh of relief, exhausted from the battle. "What a thrill that was. What a rush! Haven't felt that since...well, since we saved Flower Knight from the Mane-iac...y'know, come to think of it, I wonder what became of that crazy, wild haired madwoman?"
"Who knows?" Dallas replied. "Maybe that's the last we'll ever see of her. Either way, I just don't want to run into her anytime soon."
Just then, Hum Drum's wrist started to ring, and he looked down to see a picture of his cousin, Danny.
Tapping his ring finger, Hum Drum took the call, "Hey Danny! What's up?"
"Yo Ken!" Danny Williams shouted excitedly. "I just got a breakthrough! Meet me back in the basement, you gotta see this!"
"Uh, sure! I'm on my way home right now," After that, Hum Drum hangs up the call. "Wonder what my inventive cousin's come up with now? Hope he didn’t blow the roof of our house again." He turns to Delilah, who was nuzzling her nose with Doug's. "C'mon Delilah, we're going home."
"Alright then," Delilah barked, before she turned and smiled at Doug. "See you around, Doug," With a playful giggle, she licked Doug on the nose, causing him to blush, before she turned to join her owner.
"Hey, you girls coming?" Ken called Dallas and Spruce.
"Nah, you go on ahead, Ken!" Mistress Marvelous beckoned. "Me and Spruce are gonna bring Doug back to the firefighters. We'll see ya later."
"Okay, see ya!" With that, Ken activated his super jumping boots, and was on his way home, with Delilah.
On his way home, Hum Drum made a quick stop in the park, to find the Harmonus Defender's crashed ship. There, he changed out of his suit and redresses himself into his civilian outfit to look the part. After that was done, Ken and Delilah were able to walk back to the Heathespike residence, while acting on the parts as normal everyday civilians.
After they arrived home, Ken and Delilah both walked down into the basement, to find Danny, ready and eager to show off his latest invention.
"Okay. Check this out!" Danny said, as he walks over to a chemistry set and begins his demonstration.
Danny eagerly turned on a switch to ignite the flames, which made the colorful liquids in separate glass containers to travel up the tubes, before they all joined together into a single tube, with a nozzle fixed at the end. Fastened around the nozzle appeared to be a small glass, paintball-like pellet, the size of a marble. Danny turns on the nozzle, releasing the mixed liquid into the pellet, before he turns it off, then holds the pellet towards Ken and Delilah.
"Wow, that's pretty neat, Danny," Ken applauded, lightly and less enthusiastically. "But what does it do?"
"Well that's the best part!" Danny smiled, before he turned to a nearby dart target board, and threw the pellet.
Upon impact, the pellet broke, and exploded into a colorful foamy cloud that covers the entire board.
"Behold!" Danny shouts excitedly. "Funny Elephant Foam BOMBS! They're like ninja smoke bombs, except they explode into colorful foams of different colors!"
"Whoa, that's pretty good there, Danny!" Ken nodded, further impressed by his cousin's accomplishment. "You really outdid yourself this time!"
"Oh, please, stop!" Danny shook his hands as he feigns modesty. "You're too much."
"What's going on down here?" Megan asked as she and Molly came down into the basement to see what the hullabaloo was about. "What in the world?! Danny? What did you do?"
"Just only my latest invention!" Danny smiled proudly. "FOAM BOMBS!" With that, Danny tossed another pellet, which exploded into even more colorful foamy clouds, startling Megan and Molly. "Funny ELEPHANT Foam Bombs! YEAH!"
"Wow, colorful," Megan nodded. "And...messy. You are going to clean this up, aren't you Danny?" The young woman asked sternly.
"Uh yeah...later. Right after THIS!" Danny was just about to throw another pellet, but Ken stopped his enthusiastic cousin.
"Don't make it one more on your clean-up list, Dan," Ken shook his head. "Besides, how many of these did you make?"
"Oh I made a whole batch of them!" Danny smiled, pointing over to show a whole plastic bag, big enough to hold at least 30 of them.
"Wow, you've been busy," Ken commented as he walked over to look at the pellets, each with different mixtures of colors. 'Hmmm, I wonder if the girls might find some use for these things?'
"Hey Danny?" Ken called to his cousin. "You mind if I show some of these off to my friends?"
"Be my guest, Ken!" Danny replied.
Maretropolis Zoo
Once again, Ken was walking through the zoo, still in his casual civilian outfit. The young hero-in-training was sitting at a table, outside, in the diner area, while gazing at one of his cousin's newly made "foam bombs."
"Hello Ken!" A sweet voice greeted, revealing herself to be Spruce Spanner. "I'm glad you could make it today," She smiled as she pulled up a seat beside him.
"Well, it's been a long day today so, I'm happy to be here," Ken sighed.
"Oh, I know what you mean," Spruce replied. "But if anything, I think you were great today! The way you fought off those awful people to save poor Doug and the little girl. That was the bravest thing I've ever seen you do!"
"Well, don't forget, I had Dallas there to back me up," Ken chuckled. "So...hehe, I can't...take full credit of it. You know?"
"But either way, I still think you were amazing back there," Spruce smiled, which turned sad. "Even better than how I would if...if..."
"If what?"
"...if I had been more...assertive, but not too...assertive..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"It's...it's a long story..."
"I'm listening."
Seeing how attentive and intent Ken was, Spruce breathed a deep sigh, before she begins.
"Remember when I told you that I can turn myself into...into a–" Spruce hesitated as she couldn't seem to bring herself to say it.
"Into a monster when you get angry?" Ken nodded. "Yeah, I remember."
"Well...I wasn't born with that sort of power...I sorta...actually, what I meant to say was...it was the result of an accident I had...back on Harmonus..."
"You don't say," Ken said in fascination. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking."
"Well...long ago, I used to be a renowned scientist, throughout all of Harmonus," Spruce began to narrate. "In fact, before becoming the Defenders, I was the Head Scientist in the medical field. I was on the verge of finding a perfect cure for all diseases in the known galaxies."
"Wow, that sounds like a big achievement!" Ken commented. "So how did it go? Were you successful? And...did you have to like experiment it on any...creatures to do that?"
"Oh no! I would never harm an innocent creature!" Spruce exclaimed.
"Hey, hey, I was just asking," The boy calmed the bewildered girl. "I'm just curious. Anyway, go on."
"I never liked the idea of conducting experiments on living creatures, for the purpose of scientific advancement," Spruce continued. "Instead, I made it my life's work to treating and caring for all the disease inflicted animals with the utmost care and love I can provide. That's how I became a doctor. I just love animals, don't you?"
"Well, of course," Ken nodded in agreement. "Why else would my family and I have Delilah?" Ken smiled, while he secretly thought to himself, 'Wow, this girl's a veterinarian, a scientist, and a doctor. She must be very smart or something,' Ken then beckoned Spruce to continue with her story, "Anyway, go on. How did you became...well, how did you get your powers?"
"One day, I thought I had found the answer I was looking for," Spruce continued. "I thought I had found the cure...or at least, something close to it. And with this cure, I used it in a machine I had designed, with the purpose to treat animal illness. It was everything I had hoped for...until it happened. The machine suddenly had a malfunction, and it began to overload. I quickly evacuated all of the animals out of my lab. But in the process, I was exposed to this...radiation, resulted from the overload. I didn't know it then...but later, I found out that the radiation somehow mutated my genetic structures. And whenever I became angry, I...you know."
'Yup, definitely a Hulk. Or a She-Hulk, more like it,' Ken thought to himself. "Well Spruce, that sounds like a really cool origin story and...frankly, I'd like to see your 'angry' side, sometimes."
"Oh no!" Spruce yelped in fright. "Please Ken, believe me. You do not want to see me angry! That's the last thing you need to see!"
"What? Why? What's the matter?" Ken asked.
"Because...the last time I got angry, I...I hurt some people I never meant to hurt," The girl whimpered.
"Oh...sorry I asked...but aren't you a Defender? I mean, you're obviously part of the Harmonus Defender's rank for a reason, right?"
"I am...but I don't think I deserved it. I don't know what Queen Celestia saw in me, but...I don't deserve to be on the team, if I can't even control my own anger. I'm even...afraid of myself...that's why I'm better off serving as the team's medic. Because I can at least help my friends more by treating them to their wounds, instead of being...the cause of their wounds."
Ken nodded in understanding, while looking sad at the distraught alien girl, who was formerly the Head Scientist and a renowned veterinarian from her planet. Wanting to cheer the girl up, Ken looked at the Foam Bomb pellet he's got in his hand.
"Hey Spruce," He began. "Being a scientist and all, my cousin Danny would like your...honest opinion on his latest breakthrough."
"Oh?" Spruce began. "What is it?"
"See this little ball?" Ken held it up in his hand. "Watch what happens when I do this!" With a flick of his hand, Ken tossed the pellet down to the ground, and it exploded into a colorful cloud of foams.
"Oh my!" Spruce exclaimed in fascination. "Is that...the Funny Elephant Toothpaste science that Nova Potts showed us today?"
"It sure is!" Ken smiled, as he held out another pellet. "It was Nova Potts's scientific breakthrough, but it was thanks to my cousin Danny's creative ingenuity that he found a way to pack it all in one small package! Pretty cool, am I right? Or am I right?"
Spruce couldn't help but giggle at Ken's optimism, before she walked over, holding her hand out for one of the pellets.
"Can I try some?" She asked politely.
"Sure!" Ken held out the pellets to Spruce. "Knock yourself out! Uh, not literally..."
Spruce smiled before she held up one of the pellets and threw it to a nearby trash, watching as its completely filled up with rainbow multicolored foam clouds.
"Wow, they're so beautiful!" Spruce smiled, before an idea came to her. "Ooh! I wonder if the elephants would like these! I've got to show these to them!"
With an eager giggle, Spruce quickly ran off to try them out, but not before she quickly returned to Ken.
"Oh, and thank you, Ken!" She said, before she gave the boy a quick peck on the cheek. "You're the best!"
With that, Spruce took her leave, while leaving Ken in a loving daze, as he touches the spot where Spruce had kissed him. It felt just as nice as the time Trot Summers had kissed him. Watching from behind a tree, Dallas Queen smiled at what she had witnessed.
The sun was setting over the horizon, bathing the city in a beautiful hue of orange. Most of the zoo's visitors were already leaving, but Spruce was still doing her part-time job as zookeeper assistant, as she helped to clean the elephants, while showing the Funny Elephant "Toothpaste" to the pachyderms.
Standing over the railing, watching in loving daze, Ken gazes in admiration of Spruce, seeing her impeccable love towards the animals and her doting demeanor that puts a many loving mothers to shame.
"Been a long time since I've seen her smile like that," Dallas commented, making herself known to Ken.
"Oh! Dallas! H-Hi!" Ken greeted, stammering, having been caught off-guard. "I-I-I didn't hear you comin'."
Dallas simply giggled, before she calmed Ken, "At ease there, sugarcube. I just came here to see how you and Spruce have been getting along. And it seems y'all are doin' just as well! I've never seen her that happy in a long time."
"Well...it's the least I can do," Ken replied. "After everything you and the girls have gone through from across the galaxy to her...must've been real hard on you gals."
"Harder than you can imagine, Ken," Dallas replied.
"Yeah, sure," Turning to the strong Power Princess, Ken asked, "So, what's your story, Dallas? I've learned the story of Trot, then Aurora and Mary, and now Spruce's. So what's yours? How did you became a Defender?"
With a tip of her hat, Dallas smiled as she begins to tell her story.
"Back on Harmonus," She began. "I once hailed from a hidden city called Alfalfis. Kinda like how Aurora was from another kingdom, before she joined the Harmons Defenders. Except, I wasn't a princess from where I came from. But like a lot of us young warriors from Alfalfis, I was born with super strength. And everyday, I trained with my kin to look out for one another, to use our superior strength to fight and protect our home and loved ones. We were trained to fight for our family and our home, because our elders have said that that's been the way of the Alfalfis."
"Yeah, I can see that," Ken nodded, while noting Dallas's impressive lean and muscular build. "So...when did you became a Defender of...not just Alpha-Alf-al? Alf...How did you became a Harmonus Defender? Like how did you get involved with Trot and the others?"
"The problem with Alfalfis is, while it's a paradise for me and my kins...it just doesn't feel right with me that we've kept all our super strengths and resources to ourselves, while the world outside was...wasn't as prosperous as our own. I found that out the hard way, when I left Alfalfis for a quick glimpse at the rest of Harmonus, that I found...trouble."
"...What kind of trouble?" Ken asked.
"I don't know where I was at the time," Dallas replied. "All that I knew was...I walked into a town that's full of trouble. There were a band of thieves, who ransacked the townsfolks of their homes, their valuables, and everything. I refused to stand idly by, so I jumped in and fought off the varmints. Soon, words of my heroism spread throughout Harmonus, which eventually reached Queen Celestia and Princess Twilight, who invited me to become one of the Harmonus Defenders."
"Sounds like a happy ending..." Ken commented. "To an origin story, I mean."
"It's not," Dallas denied. "For one thing, I got into trouble with the elders back in Alfalfis. Needless to say, I got into a heated arguments with the old timers, for breaking a sacred tradition of Alfalfis, that has now exposed the existence of the city to the outside world, and that I've run the risk of endangering the lives we've been raised to protect."
"Yikes! So what happened?"
"Well, we've had some disagreements, before we – how do you say? Agreed to disagree? I left Alfalfis, to join the Defenders, with the intent on using my super strength, not just for Alfalfis, but for the whole world. Or at least, until...Sombra came..." Dallas muttered with disdain at the mention of the evil warlord who had ended it all.
Out of impulse, Ken reaches out to place a gentle hand on Dallas's shoulder, to which the strong girl gingerly stroked.
Wanting to get out of the awkward moment, Dallas cleared her throat.
"But, besides all that, today brings back lots of fond memories, Ken," Dallas crossed her arms. "The way we fought off those Reapers today made me feel like I was back in Alfalfis again. And I certainly feel like a mentor with you as my apprentice. Though, your stick fighting could use some more work."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Ken blushed, recalling his clumsy performance back in the fight.
Dallas simply giggled as she wrapped an arm around Ken, "No need to be sorry, Ken," She smiled, holding him close and poking his cheek with her other hand. "You're on your way of becoming an impressive Defender."
Ken couldn't help but blush an even brighter shade of red at the compliment, and from how close Dallas was holding him.
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Cant wait for the next chapter!
Awesome, perhaps Danny could be secretly making Ken newer gadgets without even knowing what he's really making for Ken. And thinking of Spruce as Hulk or She-Hulk. As much as making her like Hulk would reference how big she got in the cartoon, I'd love to see if she'd look more like She-Hulk. I mean look at her
2.bp.blogspot.com/-xHIkBXf2p98/WXG-GmDsa-I/AAAAAAAAPIA/6Abs-MW-IAE_o4l39MA3T7mYYXGtbcb9wCLcBGAs/s320/she%2Bhulk%2B%25281%2529.png
She is gorgeous. And if she'd go into that state I'd bet she'd be even more attracted to Ken. Like playfully putting him in a head lock to her super strong bosom, and even a bear hug.
And it's good seeing Ken improving on his relationship with Dallas, especially after his bo-staff mishap. And as for those Reapers wanting to pour that black tar on the girl. Something tells me this is sounding like a Venom twist.
Well, you keep at it. And until next time.
Really loved how you captured the Spanner/Rager struggle!
Wow, i understand all references in this chapter
Deliah and Doug? Why do those names sound so familiar?
Anyone else got a bad feeling we're going to see that Cult again... At least, they may have to save the day, but I want to know how the hell did they get away so fast and I can't wait for the date in the next chapter!
10799743
No problem. 🙂
Can't wait to see what new things will happen in the next chapter when it comes out!